Texas man accused of harassing Sutherland Springs church victims

LOCKHART, TX (KXAN) — A Lockhart man accused of harassing surviving victims of the shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs has been charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

The US Attorney’s Office announced the charge Wednesday, describing how 54-year-old Robert Mikell Ussery and his girlfriend — who was known as “conspiracy granny” online — entered the church property on March 5 and verbally harassed church members, claiming the church shooting was a hoax and that no one really died.

Federal officials say Ussery told church members that “the people” will hang a member of the church for perpetrating the “hoax.”

Ussery allegedly had a semi-automatic pistol with him after already being convicted of a felony offense in 1984 for burglary of a vehicle in Brazoria County.

The San Antonio Express-News reported that Ussery and his girlfriend, Jodie Marie Mann, took video of them yelling and screaming at church members, including Pastor Frank Pomeroy, whose 14-year-old daughter was killed.

“He said, ‘Your daughter never even existed. Show me her birth certificate. Show me anything to say she was here,’” Pomeroy told the newspaper. “I just told him there was enough evidence already visible, so if he chooses not to see that, how would I know he would believe anything else?”

Twenty-six people were killed in the Nov. 5, 2017 shooting.

Ussery remains in federal custody and is scheduled to appear before a judge in San Antonio on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.